On Friday, April 1st, I was excited to attend a wonderful event to honor clothing and accessories designer Michelle Ford. Fashion events of many types have been really consistent in Asheville, North Carolina. Royal Peasantry: Dance of the Fools was the latest event and was held at New Mountain Asheville. It was a night filled with lights, music, and fashion!

model: Liz Greico

The Asheville fashion scene seems to have the perfect blend of designers, photographers, musicians, and other artists that support one another. Every day, these groups of people share their skills to create a buzz and to bring the local fashion scene into the public eye.

model: Jacquelyn Shook

To me, Royal Peasantry is not only one of the cornerstones of the local fashion scene, but it is a company that has really distinguished itself from the rest of the pack by creating truly original designs and building a following of fans almost like a rock band. Designer and owner Danielle Miller oversees the production of the company that includes a very talented production crew. Some employees have gone off to create their own clothing lines. Danielle's friends include a close-knit group of designers and fashion authorities in the area. One of these people is clothing and accessories designer Michelle Ford. This event was to honor Michelle and feature her creations that compliment RP's designs in the perfect way.

This high energy event fused fashion, music, and dance in a very fast paced and entertaining way. It was a full night of entertainment which included DJs, the main runway segment, and dancers between the following smaller runway segments. This was the first fashion event that I have been to that gave the audience a longer experience than typical fashion shows. DJs Rexxstep, Disc-Oh!, and Deven Balsam delivered the perfect mixes for the empowering looks of the models and energetic looks of the dancers.

dancer/model: April Shamel

One of the key people in the structuring this event was DJ Deven Balsam. Deven is not only an established DJ/vocalist/producer but he has been involved in numerous local fashion shows, fashion videos, and other fashion events. An element of Deven's music just screams "fashion," so there is no wonder why his music and logistical expertise in fashion events are in high demand. He has had a big influence in the preparation of Dance of the Fools event which helped to create the true "nightlife" vibe for the audience.

This media friendly event allowed for local photographers to shoot the runway show and have a chance to shoot one-on-one with the models between performances. The audience members had many opportunities to see the models' and dancers' outfits up close and talk to them about the designs. Not only was it a great show for the average attendee, it was a great night for people involved in local fashion to network with one another. It was the most fun I have had at a fashion event and I look forward to Royal Peasantry's next event: Ritual Runway on July 9th, 2016 at New Mountain.

Below is a video captured and produced by local photographer Rudy Aguilar. For years, Rudy has been indispensable in the local fashion scene with his deliciously artful captures of local fashion and Asheville life. Below is a video courtesy of Rudy with the soundtrack by DJ Deven Balsam.

Royal Peasantry's retail store is located at 80N Lexington in downtown Ashevlle, North Carolina. Their production site is in Leicester, North Carolina. Visit Royal Peasantry's website at www.royalpeasantry.com.